A WORD wisely spoken

 

 

After our PHOTO OP and the move into our winter home in Congress’ North Ranch RV Subdivision I had knee replacement surgery.  I began to wonder who in their “right mind” would ask for this PAIN and WHY had I?  Then one night I remembered what Kathleen had said back before close of escrow, “Mom, if you hadn’t stayed to get that knee, you would not have BEEN THERE to receive the blessing that GOD had prepared for you, you would have been wandering around somewhere.”   That thought, that word wisely spoken, got me through the first week of recovery and it has been all reasonably good since that first week when we survived on little sleep, lots of ice packs, and pain pills!!

Thank you one and all for the prayers, good wishes, and the sharing about your own knee replacements being a good thing, a good decision.  Those words were encouragement to this old soul and I shared them with Tom as well.  He has worked so hard the past two weeks, keeping me iced, and fed.  Finding the food that I had stocked with his cooking skills in mind – easy to prepare and nourishing!!  He has even found FLOWERS at the local supermarket and flower store.  Just yesterday he came out with a bouquet of red roses, yellow Peruvian Lilies (they were nearly always on the tables at the Strawberry Inn as they would last over a week if refrigerated each night!) and eucalyptus sprigs – Mother’s Day markdowns!  Half price he could not resist!!  So I have had flowers three weeks in a row!!  I feel like a queen with my foot up and an ice pack on my knee!!

The knee doctor said today that I looked great for the two week mark and my blood pressure was DOWN to 117 / 70 after walking half a block into and THROUGH the maze of the doctor’s back office!!  With my foot on the step stool the nurse provided, leg looked straight and he asked about flexion, so I stood up, put my feet side by side and sat down – perfect 90 degree bend!!  “SHOW OFF!” Tom would have said, but he chose to sit quietly in the pickup!!  Missed opportunity, too bad!

So, we had been passing the turn off to Scenic Loop Road these many times into Wickenburg on Highway 93, having nothing on the schedule except ice and lunch Tom turned off this time and we discovered a gravel road past several horse ranches and several ranches for sale.  We saw innumerable blooming Saguaro as well as prickly pear, Teddy bear, and several other blooming cacti of which we did not know the names!  Finally decided not knowing where this road connected to highway 84 - or if it even did! – Tom found a place to turn around and we were soon back at Highway 93 from whence we came!!

Good thing we had stopped at Dairy Queen for some cool refreshment before our 4 wheelin’ adventure!!    Bless you one and all!!